Tamil Nadu has a total of 2.03 crore electricity consumers at present while another 5 lakh are being added every year, said A. Nachadalingam, Chief Engineer (Distribution) of Madurai Region, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).

The average per day consumption of a consumer in Tamil Nadu stood at 3 units at present. Thermal power stations met around 70 per cent of Tamil Nadu’s power needs, he said.

He was addressing a seminar on electricity conservation organised at Madurai Kamaraj University College here on Saturday by TNEB and Institution of Engineers (India).

Further, he said, 27,000 connections to below poverty line families were being provided under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (scheme for rural electricity infrastructure and household electrification). Another 4,000 free power connections would be provided to farmers.

The Board at present was operating 45 electricity production stations besides 1,235 sub-stations. It has a total installed capacity of 10,214 MW and generates 9,910 MW.

Madurai Region

The Chief Engineer informed that the Madurai Region, comprising Madurai,Dindigul, Sivaganga, Theni and Ramanathapuram districts, had 576 hightension and 27 lakh low tension consumers besides 136 sub-stations. The peakdemand of the Region on January 28 was 1,041 MW.

Mr. Nachadalingam said that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency had introduced several schemes to promote efficiency among industrialists. They include standards and labelling, energy conservation awards and promoting the construction of energy-efficient buildings.

Speaking earlier, B.T. Bangera, managing director, Hi Tech Arai, said that electricity and manpower shortages were the two main issues confronting industries. Electricity conservation has become the order of the day. Retired Government officials of various departments can be roped in to promote energy